After cooking with it today I found out I need to make a different pair of hooks to handle the hot charcoal baskets. I was using a pair of hay hooks to pull them out and that worked well until this cook when I recharged the basket with another lit chimney.....while the hay hooks pull well they don't push real well and the hook slips into the basket. It's too hot to handle with welding gloves on so I will make a set of basket pullers that will let me push them back in as well as pull them out. I was grabbing onto the cross bar and the end....I think I will keep doing that but with a better designed hook.

After sleeping on it my brain finally kicked in.....I just used some 1" tube and welded on handles to the ends of the baskets that are 13" long. I can now reach in and grab them with gloves and pull out the baskets. Putting them back in is a breeze and both hands are behind the fire not over it. No silly hooks to mess with!

I had a chance to weigh my trailer yesterday on our scale at work......1400 lbs. Sure does not look like it weighs that much but it towed like it.

I am going to add an intake damper to the bbq, beef up the handles I made on the smoker fire baskets, and add another small flat shelf over the right fender, and that should do it. Last nights cooking at work was a good test run on how it operates.

I cooked another batch of chicken on the bbq this weekend and decided the bypass plate needed to go. The coals sit too high when on top of it. I cut it out and dropped a narrow grate in the bottom. I still have to make an air intake control but the extra 3" of height over the coals should do the trick.

Here is the handle I put on the fire baskets for the smoker to help get them in and out easier..

I am smoking a brisket today in the rear half and thought I would update the pictures and progress of this build. The smoker is doing well with it's now split chambers. The BBQ is doing great once I cut out the old BP and dropped the fire grate near the bottom of the tank to get the coals further away from the cooking grates. Tool box is working perfectly, foil holder and paper towel holder work well. I added some shelves to the fender tops and I think I will add a turkey fryer burner in front of the BBQ. I want an easy way to light the chimneys and maybe use it to boil corn later. I have two sets of dual remote probes now too.
Here it is in it's current state.....

I am finally going to get a chance to run it to the DMV and get it registered this week. Friday it goes to work again for a BBQ. Were BBQ'ing salmon on the grill and I will be smoking some stuffed mushrooms in the tube. I am still looking for that gas burner to mount in front of the BBQ.